Game-register.



- E. 0. PARKER & H. E. GREY.

, GAME REGISTER.

nrmonmn rum) APR. 19, 1906.

Patented Oct. 27, 1908.

' Allll MM W THE NDRRIS PETERS cm, wnsmuaron, n. c.

7 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD O. PARKER AND HAROLD E. GREY, OF INDEPENDENCE, IOWA.

GAME-REGISTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 27, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EDWARD O. PARKER and HAROLD E. GREY, citizens of the United States, residing at Independence, in the county of Buchanan and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game-Registers, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to game registers and1 is especially applicable to the game of 00 p The paramount object of our improvement is to provide means for indicating by a visible register the number of games played on a pool table and to warn the attendant by an audible signal when each game is completed.

Further objects of our invention are to provide a convenient and conspicuous tablet upon which to display the number of cues in each game and the name of the losing player, and to enable the room keeper to have supervision of a number of pool tables and control their registers from a distant point.

The advantage of our register will-be appreciated when it is understood that its use will afford adequate protection both to the players and the supervisor by preventing any possibility of error on the part of either, whether such error is made with fraudulent intent or is unintentional.

We accomplish these and other objects by means of the device hereinafter described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of our improved electrical pool game register; Fig. 2 is a rear elevation partly diagrammatic, the back plate of the casing being removed to disclose the internal mechanism; Fig. 3 is a sectional view, partly diagrammatic, taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 4 indicates the casing, the upper portion of which is provided with a circular opening 5, closed by a dial-plate 6, around the periphery of which are arrangedindicating numbers 7, corresponding with the number of games to be registered without resetting. A pointer 8 is attached to a shaft 9 which isjournaled in the center of the dial plate 6 and a support 10 and carries upon its outer projecting end a thumb nut 11 and upon its rear end is mounted a ratchet Wheel 12. A yielding detent 13 retains said Wheel in whatever posi tion it may be placedwhen rotated either by the thumb nut 11 or the operating mechanism now to be described. A magnet 14 is supported by a frame 15, secured to the rear face of the dial plate 6 by a bracket 16, the frame and bracket being separated by insulation 17. A lever 18 preferably made of soft iron, having a pivotal connection 19 with the frame 15, is furnished with a downwardly projecting arm 20 which lies within the field of attraction of the magnet 14, and an upwardly projecting arm 21, held in a retracted position against a stop 22, fixed to the frame 15, by a spring 23. Attached to said arm 21 is an actuating pawl 24 which engages the teeth 25 of the ratchet wheel 12-. To the rear face of the latter is fixed a contact pin 26, which will engage a spring lever 27 when the former is vertically over the center of the wheel 12. The said spring lever 27 has a fixed support 28 on the dial plate 6 from which it is insulated by a disk 29. Y

The lower part of the casing contains the battery which is preferably formed of two cells 30, 31, which are connected in series. A push button 32 provided with two contact points 33, 34, is placed at any convenient point on the front of the casing. A wire 35 connects the point 33 with the magnet 36 of a signal bell 37, the other contact having connection by a wire 38 with one of the battery cells 30. The point 34 is connected by wire 39 with the magnet 14, the latter being also connected to the other pole of the cell 30 by a conductor 41. The contact plate 42 of the push button 32 has electrical connection with the cell 31 by a wire 43. From the latter connection is made to the ratchet wheel 12 through its bearing 10, by means of a wire 44. When the pin 26 contacts withthe spring lever 27 connection will be completed through the wire 45, magnet 36, and wire 38 to the outer binding post of cell 30, through the connecting wire to the cell 31, thence returning through the wires 43 and 44 and the plate 10 to the lever 27.

In order to provide for an extension to any part of the room or building binding osts 46, 47, are secured to the casing one 0' said posts being in connection with the wire 43 by I ton in the usual manner.

given until the pointer reaches 18.

It will be evident that each register will require its special operating button.

Upon the front of the casing is arranged a score card 52 having a plurality of spacesS marked thereon and arranged in three rows, the spaces in each row corresponding in numher with the characters or figures placed upon the dial plate. The interior row of spaces? furnished with figures plainly marked thereon in the manner shown in. the drawing, to correspond with and represent the number of games as indicated upon the dial. The superior row of spaces is intended to be used for the name of the losing player in each game while the median row is reserved for indicating the number of cues used in each game. This card is preferably constructed of slate to facilitate the erasure of the figures and names placed thereon, it being intended to use chalk or other material that can be readily erased. A chalk crayon holder or tray 54 is secured to the side of the casing within convenient reach.

The method of operating the register is as follows:-The pointer 8 is first set at the initial position, which in the arrangement shown is at the number 18 so that the movement of the ratchet-wheel one step will carry the pointer to the character 1 marked on the dial. The setting of the pointer is done in two ways either by grasping the thumb nut 11 by the fingers and turning the pointer and connected ratchet-wheel clockwise until the pin 26 comes in contact with the spring lever 27. The bell 37 will now ring, and the pointer will indicate 18. The shaft to which pointer is attached must be rotated just far enough to break the contact of the pin 26 and lever 27. This is the initial or starting point. The method of setting the pointer is by the use of either push button, the one on the casing designated 32 or the auxiliary button not shown in the drawings. In case the former is used the bell will give a signal as the pointer passes each figure of the indicator; if the latter is used no signal will be It will be understood that when a button is used it must be ushed as many times as will equal the num er of steps the ratchet wheel must be turned to bring the pointer to 18. For instance, if ten games have been played, and the ointer indicates 10, then eight pushes on either button will be required to carry the ppinter around to the initial position.

hen a game is finished the button 32 is pushed and the plate 42 will make contact with the points 33 and 34, the current passing through the conductors 39 and 41 will energize the magnet 14 and the lever 18 being attracted by the magnet will operate the ratchet wheel one step by means of the pawl 24.

nection between the ournal 1O and the spring lever 27 is for the purpose of giving an alarm when the register has indicated the maximum number of games and also to notify the room keeper when the device is set at the starting point in case the act of setting is controlled by the distant auxiliary button. The alarm is also intended to notify the ream keeper in case any unauthorized person should attempt to set the register without his knowledge. Since the index cannot be moved in a reverse direction contact will invariably be made between the pin 26 and the lever 27 before the indicated number can be made smaller.

The main wire running to the bell is so connected to the cell 31 through wires 43, 35, and 38, that pushing the button 32 will send a current from that cell alone through the bell. The magnet 14 is connected with one cell through the wire 41 and by the wire 39 is in connection with the contact 42 of the button 32, and thus when the said button is operated the magnet will receive the full cur rent from both cells.

It is obvious that certain changes may be made in the devices of our invention as herein shown without departin from the s )irit and scope thereof, and we (To not, there ore, wish to be limited to the precise construction set forth.

hat we claim as new is 1. In a game register, the combination with an indicating dial, a ratchet wheel, an index carried on said wheel, electrically operated means for moving the ratchet wheel, a

wheel, and a battery, of an insulated arm arher, an electro-magnetic signal apparatus, a c1rcuit closer, electric connection between and the said means for movmg the ratchet wheel, and independent circuit wires between the battery and said ratchet wheel and the insulated arm.

2. In a game register, the combination with an indicating dial, a ratchet wheel, an index carried on said wheel, a battery, an electromagnet, an armature for said magnet, a

ing the ratchet wheel, and a contact pin carried by said ratchet wheel, of an insulated arm fixed to said dial and arranged in the path of said contact pin, an electro-magnetic signal apparatus, a circuit closer, electric circuit Wires connecting the battery and said electro-magnet and said signal apparatus, and circuit wires between the battery and said wires and the insulated arm.

3. An apparatus for the purpose stated, including an arbor concentric with said dial, an index mounted on the arbor, a ratchet at- It will be seen that the function of the contached to said arbor for said dial, a ratchet contact member carried by said ratchet the battery and the said signal apparatus pawl attached to said armature and engags warm y ranged in the path of the said contact memattached to the arbor of said index, means for permanently preventing the backward movement of said ratchet, an electro-magnetic signal mechanism, electrically operated means for advancing said index step by step, and simultaneously therewith indicating said step by step advance by operating said signal mechanism, electrically operated means for advancing said index step by step without operating said electro-magnetic sig nal mechanism, and means for operating said index manually.

4. An apparatus for the purpose stated, including an indicator dial, an index having a ratchet fixed thereto, means for permanently preventing the backward movement of said ratchet, an electro-magnetic signal mechanism, electrically operated means for advancing said index step by step and simultaneously operating said signal mechanism, means for manually advancing said in dex, and electrical means for operating said signal mechanism when said index passes a predetermined point in its rotation.

5. An apparatus for the purpose specified, including an indicator dial, an arbor carrying a pointer, a ratchet fixed on said arbor, an electro-magnetic signal apparatus, electrically operated means for advancing said index step bt step and simultaneously operating said signal apparatus, electrically operated means for advancing said index without operating said signal, electrical means for automatically producing an audible signal when the pointer reaches its initial position and means for manually advancing said pointer.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures in presence of two witnesses:

EDWARD O. PARKER. HAROLD EGREY. Witnesses:

GEO. S. WOODRU'FF, JOHN BURK. 

